Electrically-operated disappearing bed



June 16, 1925. 7 1,542,766

H. H. HALL I ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DISAPPEARING BED Filed March 29, 1923 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 16, 1925.

H. H. HALL ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DISAPPEARING BEID 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 29 H. H. HALL ELECTRICALLY OPERATED DISAPPEARING BED June 16, 1925.

3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed March 29, 1925 Patented June 16, 1925. I

PATENT OFFICE.

HARVEY H. HAIlZL, or ADAMS COUNTY, COLORADO.

ELECTRICALLY-OPEBAT'ED DISAPPEARING BED.

Application filed March 29, 1923. Serial No. 628,637.

T (all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARVEY H. HALL,

a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the county of Adams and State 6 of Colorado, have invented a certain new and useful Electrically-Operated Disappearing Bed, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in that type of folding beds generally styled wardrobe beds or wall beds, the functioning and advantages of which are well understood for permanent installment in hotel rooms, apartments or otherwise, and from a broader aspect the invention has been especially devised as an electrically operated disappearing bed.

The invention broadly and specificially embodies various novelly combined features, not only as to the construction of the bedstead itself, with its pivotal mountings and associated arrangement of cooperating elements, but also with more particular reference to the manner of its electrical operation from closed to opened position and vice versa under automatically actuated control.

The primary objects of the invention have been to produce such an improved type of disappearing bed that may be readily in- 30 stalled, which does not require manual 7, manipulation, which is durable and positively efficient in operation, and the operating mechanism of which provides means for securely holding the 'bed and its parts anchored in their full opened and closed positions, the said operating mechanism being automatically shut off at the end of each opening and closing movement of the bed, while at the same time the electrical circuits therefor are reset by the automatic control of a pair of auxiliary electric switches for the reverse movement of the bed upon the actuation of a main electric switch. The foregoing and other ob'ects and advantages, however, will be so clearly apparent, as incidental to the following disclosure, that no useful purpose would be served by further enlarging upon the same initially, and with these prefacing remarks, therefore, refe ence M 1 n w be immediately had to the accompanying drawings, illustratmg a practical but not necessarily the only embodiment. of the invention, in which drawings- Figure l is a view in vertical section through a floor and a cabinet, or wall compartment, showing in solid lines and in side elevation the disposition of the associated elements of the combined arrangement when the bed is fully opened or distended, and also illustrating in dotted outlines certain of the same elements in the positions they assume during a portion of either the closing or opening operations; Figure 2 is also a vertical sectional and elevational View, but showing the bed and its pivotally associated elements in their closed or folded positions relatively to each other and to said cabinet or wall compartment; Figure 3 is a plan view of the bed and its operating connections, being a transverse sectional view through the cabinet, or wall compartment, taken along the plane of the line 3-3 of Figure 1; Figure 4 is a diagrammatic view of the electrical circuits coupling up a reversible motor with a manually operated main switch, and with a source of electrical energy, through the medium of a pair of automaticallyactuated auxiliary electric switches; and Figure 5 is a view analogous to Figure 4, but with the several switches oppositely thrown for reversing operations.

Before actually proceeding with the description of the drawings proper, it may be said at the outset that, while I have illustrated the invention as associated with a wall recess or compartment, in employing the term cabinet, throughout the specification or claims, I employ the same inthe sense of including either a fixed wall cabinet, wardrobe, recess or compartment, for a disappearing wall bed, or a movable cabinet or wardrobe, for a ortable wardrobe disappearing bed, or their equivalents. It may also be emphasized at the outset that, while the drawings show the bed as being end-folding or longitudinally foldable, it is to be understood that it might be made inner-side-folding or transversely 'foldable,

without substantial alteration in principle and wholly within the scope of the actual v invention, should such an arrangement. b

desired.

'A "cabinet compartment, having a full open front, is formed by the rear wall 6, the side walls 7, the top wall 8 and the bottom wall 9, which latter may be the floor 10 of a room when said cabinet compartment is in fact a recess in the wall proper J the top 8 of the cabinet and the said gearing being illustrated by a worm wheel 14, carried by one end of the shaft 11 and meshing with a driving worm carried by a stub shaft 15 of the motor. however, that the exact type of gearing between the motor and the shaft is unessential, and also that the motor and the gearing element 14 need not necessarily be disposed outside of the cabinet, as there is plenty of vacant space at the upper rear inside of the cabinet for the mounting of these elements if desired.

The threaded portionl2 of the shaft 11 functions as the actuating means fora vertically operated head block, which will be hereinafter referred to more particularly, the said head block being provided with a bore therethrough that is internally threaded to encompassing-l receive the threaded portion 12 of the s aft 11, and the said head block being operated upwardly or downwardly, or in reverse directions, dependent upon the direction of rotation of the shaft 11.

A- manually operated main. electric switch is generally designated by its handle 16, being mounted at any convenient position relatively to the cabinet, and a pair of automatically actuated auxiliary electric switches are -mounted in proximity to and substantially in line with the threaded portion 12 of saidshaft 11, which latter may be conveniently referred to as the actuating shaft. i

able type, but it is shown as being of threepole double-throw construction, embodying The said auxiliary switches are disposed in substantially spaced relation, one being located towards the upper end of the threaded portion 12 and the other towards the It will be obvious,

This main switch 16 may beof anysuit lower end thereof, and they may be conveniently'referred to as the upper and lower auxiliary switches 17 and 18 respectively. These switches 17-18 are shown as mounted upon the rear wall 6 of the cabinet, although they may be otherwise located, but they are so constructed and coupled together by suitable connecting means that when one is open the other is closed. The said connecting means may be flexible or inflexible, or may be a single or paired means, but as shown they preferably com prise a pair of rods 19 connected at their upper and lower ends, respectively, to throw-arms 20-21 of the upper and lower auxiliary switches, the said arms. 2021' being projected beyondtheir switch casings in a direction towards said threaded portion' 12 of the actuating shaft 11, whereby they are alternately engaged and thrown into open position by means of a projection on said head block, the connecting means 19 at the same time causing the closing of the complementary, auxiliary switch not then so engaged, all of which will hereinafter more fully appear.

A pair of conduit wires 2223 lead respectively from the main switch 16 to the upper and lower auxiliary switches 17-18, and a conduit wire 21 also leads from said main switch. 16 to one pole of the source of electrical energy. A branch conduit wire 2525 connects the auxiliary switches 1718, while a conduit wire 26 leads from said branch wire 2525 to the motor 13, shown as in circuit with the field thereof and the latter being also in circuit with a conduit wire 2727 leading therefrom to the other 1c of the source of electrical energy, w ich, although illustrated as a battery would ordinarily be the service line for the electrical fixtures of the building; The pivotal switch arm or blade 64 ofthe main switch 16 .is always in circuit with the' wire 24, as is also the blade 66, by way of the branch 74, and the center blade 65 is likewise in circuit with the return wire 27, by way'of the branch 75. The pivotal switch points or arms of the auxiliary switches 17-18 are always in circuit with the branch wire. 25-25 the main and auxiliary, the switch cont-act terminals for the wire 22 being'mdicated at 28 and 29, r

and the main and auxiliary switch contact terminals for the conduit wire 23 being indicated at"30 and 31. Line wires 76-77 and 7 8:79 are respectively in circuit with the opposite ends of the motor armature 'coils and with their complementary contact terminals 72 and 70, while branches 80 and 81 respecti ely connect the contact terminals 73 and 71, across the main switch, with their complementary conduit 78 and 77. The pair of alternately completed electric circuits herein involved will be more definitely traced out with reference to the descript-ion of the openi and closing operations of the bed. ng

-. The outer end of the bed frame is provided with pivotally suspended forward legs 34 and ,a rigid footboard element 35, while the inner end is provided with'a rigid base section 36 of the head board and an upper head board section 37 that is pi-votally connected as at 38 to said rigid base section- 36. The inner end of the bed, frame may also be provided with a transverse plate or bar 39, bolted to the end rail 33, which transverse bar 39 has a vertically disposed web or flange section 40 that lies up against said rigid base section'36 of the head board, or at least there is a web element that is equivalent to the flange portion 40 which is centrally located and is rovided with rolled over edges of tubular fbrm or analogous cylindrical bearings 41. v

The inner end of the bed frame is'not supported by upright legs, but a pair of side link bars 42 are pivotally connected at their upper ends to the side rails 32 at suitable positions 43 substantially forward of the rear end of the bed frame, while the lower ends of said link bars 42 are pivotally connected as at 44 to suit-able base supports located just inside of the forward base portion of the cabinet. The rear or inner end of the bed frame may also be provided with laterally projected side rollers 45, which serve as end guide bearings operating in the vertical guideway slots 4601 a pair of track elements 47 that are oomple-' mentally disposed at the forward inside lower rtion of the cabinet. k

48 esignates a closure door or panel board, for the front opening of the cabinet,

, which is suitably hinged or pivotally supported at its lower end as at 49. Forwardly of-its central portion, but rearwardlyof the legs 34, the inside face of this door or panel board 48 may be provided with ,a triangular frame connection 52 that is whichis aipertured, as agt-51, to freely receive the ends of suspending means between the bed frame and said panel board door. The said suspending means is, illustrated as a triangular. frame connection 52 that is open at its base, the leg ends of whichpass freely through said apertures '51, being provided with terminal knobs 53 functioningv as limiting stops, and the apex end of the triangular frame 52 beingpivotally connected, as at 54, to the front or outer end! rail of the bed frame. Obviously, however,

'this suspending means may be otherwise than as actually shown, and furthermore it may be statedthat the legs or rods 52 are a little longer than the normal distance between the pivotal position 54 and the aperthe headboard of the tures 51, when the bed is fully opened, thereby providing for a limited longitudinal play of the lower ends thereof through the apertures 51, which will be more clearly seen at Figure 1.

5 5 designates the vertically traveling head block, as heretofore referred to, which has a threaded vertical bore, indicated at 56,- for operatively encompassing the threaded,

section 12 of the actuating shaft 11. This traveling head block may also be provided with a transverse forward bore 57 and a rearwardly located projection of lug 58, which latter is adapted to alternately engage and actuate the throw-arms 2021, respectively, of the upper and the lower auxiliary switching elements, at the end of the upward and the downward movement of the traveling head block 55.

Connecting means are pivotally disposed between the said traveling head block and the rigid base portion 36 of the headboard of the bed frame, which connecting means are longitudinally rigid for functioning alternately as push-bar and a-pull-bar unit. Such connecting means obviously may be otherwise than as actually shown, but it has been found convenient to form the same as a clevis-like, or draw-bar-like coupling triangular link, the apex end of which is pivotally disposed within the transverse aperture 57 of the head block 55, while the base arm 60 of its legs 59 is pivotally' mounted within said cylindrical. bearings 41 'of the web 40, although the basenrm 60 need not necessarily 'be continuous, but may simply consist of inturned terminals of the l 59, rotatably' fitting within the tubular bearings 41;

In order to control the opening up and folding of the upper ivotal section 37 of I frame, a pair of short side links or arms 61 are interposed between upper pivotal section 37 and the legs 59 of the triangular coupling link, the said short arms 61 being pivotally connected to the former, as at 62,and to the latter as at 63.

I Operation.

is being operated from the closed up to the opened out position, then ,there is an appropriately closed main circuit, through the field of the motor 13, by way of the elements 246764-2822-29-17252627- 27'} and also an appropriately closed deviated circuit, providing for a divided out current, through the armature coils of the motor, by way of 2474 6,9-6672--76 7 7-787 9-7065687 5'-27 all of which causes the motor. to operate in the roper direction for actuating the head block 55 upwardly. When the bed has auxiliary switch 17 and thus opened the latte-r, while at thesame time the connections- 19 will have actuated the throw-arm 21 of the lower auxiliary switch 18 to close the same. The auxiliary switches 17 and 18 are now reset, as at Figure 5, forthe bed closing up operations, but it'is to be observed that the main switch 16 will not have been disturbed, and remains in the position shown at Figure 4, so that the circuits are broken and open, with the motor at rest. If now the main switch 16 is thrown to the opposite side, as at Figure 5, then a main closed circuit is again established, through the field of the motor, by Way of 24676430-23311825 2627-27, and also a deviated circuit is closed through the armature coils of the motor, but with its electric current flowing in a reversed or opposite direction to that heretofore described, by way of 2474-69 66738078'778171656875 27, all bf which causes the motor to operate in a reversed direction, or opposite to that before described, for actuating the head block 55 downwardly. At the end of its downward travel, the lug 58- of the head block 55 will have engaged the throw-arm '21 of lower auxiliary switch 18, for resetting the auxiliary switches. as at Figure 4 and as will be understood, but without disturbing the main switch 16, so that again the circuits are broken and opened, for bringing the motor toa stop.

As the traveling block 55 is moved downwardly, under the rotatable wedge-feeding action of the screw section 12, the coupling link 59 functions as a push-bar means and exerts a continuous downward pressure on the inner end of the bed frame, whereupon the said inner end portion is gradually swung downwardly, as the rollers 45 are caused to descend in their side guideways 46, and thereby correspondingly swinging the outer end of the bed ,frame upwardly; the said bed frame being dually fulcrumed, as it were, by the vertically descending side end rollers 45 and its pivotal connections 43 with the swinging side link supporting arms 42, which said pivotal connections 43 travel in a proper are, relatively to the descending rollers 45, to avoid any binding action of the parts.

As the outer end of the bed frame starts to rise, the panel closure or door 48 is not initially moved until the limiting stops or knobs 53, of the forward suspension means 52, have been moved into engagement with the verticalweb 51 of the transverse angle bar 50, and thus a clearance space is provided for, between the panel door and the pivoting front legs 34 of the bed frame, to permit of the folding in of the said front legs as the bed frame is operated into closed up position within the cabinet.

The gradual movements of the various parts are fully obvious from the dotted outlines thereof, at Figure 1, and the completely folded up positions of all of said parts are likewise clearly apparent from Figure 2, without further detailed description.

If, now, it be desired to open up the bed, it is simply necessary to throw the main switch 16 to the position shown at Figure 4,-

whereupon the reversible motor 13 will be caused to rotate in a direction opposite to that previously described, with reference to the closing up of the bed. The traveling block 55 will then be caused to ascend, when i the coupling link 59 will now function as a pull-bar means, the folding up operations previously described being now exactly reversed, as will be apparent.

From all of the foregoing it will be seen that no manual effort is required for raising or lowering the bed, nor are there any doors to be opened or closed manually. Furthermore, when the bed is in either its full open or full closed position, it is maintained positively secured or anchored in that position against any movement, even independently of its electrical control owing to the interposition of the bracing longitudinally rigid coupling link 59 between the inner end of the bed frame and the head block 55.

Although the invention has now been completely set forth, it is nevertheless to be understood that it is not necessarily limited to all of the details exactly as disclosed, excepting as they may come within the terms of the ensuing claims, or equivalent combinations of elements, or as fairly interpreted in the light of the specification if necessary.

What I do claim, as new and patentable,

1. The combination with a cabinet, of a bed frame pivotally associated towards its inner portion with the base of said cabinet for foldable closing up therein and openlng out therefrom, a vertically disposed threaded actuating shaft mounted rearwardly of said bed frame, a traveling element 1n threaded association with said shaft, means for operating said shaft in reverse directions of rotation, and longitudinally rigid pivotal connecting means between said traveling element and the inner portion of said bed frame.

2. The combination with a cabinet, of a bed frame pivotally associated towards its inner portion with the base of said cabinet for foldable closing up therein and opening out therefrom, the said bed frame having a rigid base head board section with a foldable upper head board section pivoted Inn thereto, a vertically disposedthreaded actuating shaft mounted rearwardly of said bed frame, a traveling element in threaded association with said shaft, means for oper-v ating said shaft in reverse directions of rotation, longitudinally rigid pivotal connecting means between said traveling ele- -ment and the inner portion of said bed frame, and pivotal connecting means between the aforesaid connecting means and said upper head board section.

3. The co bination with a cabinet having upstandrng guideways disposed therein at the lower sides thereof, of a. bed frame providing projected elements at its inner portion movably fulcruming in retained asrsociation with said guideways, supporting arms pivotally connected at their upper ends to said bed frame-at suitable positions substantially forward of said fulcruming elements and at their lower ends pivotally mounted in association with the lower ends of said guideways, supporting means for the outer portion of said bed frame, traveling means located rearwardly of said bed frame and mounted to be operated vertically in reverse directions, means for actuating said itraveling means, and longitudinally rigid pivotal connecting means between said traveling means and the inner portion of said bed frame.

4. The combination with a-cabinet, of ,a bed frame pivotally associated towards its inner portion with the base of said cabinet for foldable closing up therein and opening out'therefrom, a vertically disposed threaded actuating shaft, a'traveling element in threaded association with said shaft, longitudinally rigid pivotal connecting means between s'aid traveling element and the inner portion of saidbed frame, a reversible electrio motor in circuit with an electrical source and in couple with said shaft, a main switch I in circuit with said electricalsource, anupper and a lower auxiliary switch mounted adjacently of said shaft and in circuit with said motor, thesaid auxiliary switches having reversely operating switch points actuated by throw-arms adapted to be alternately engaged by said. traveling element, connection means between said throw-arms, and separate electrical conduits between the Irespective contactterminalsof said auxiliary switches and their complementary contact terminals of said main switch.

In testimonywhereof, I afiix my signature. v

HARVEY H. HALL. 

